1. Field of Invention
This document describes a technology for painting and image printing that utilizes a simple system with multiple colorants and a single printing head through which the image is printed by a transparent ink or binder. The primary area of interest involves dry pigments of larger molecular weight colorants, such as cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) pigments, and their diverse applications in modern printing and painting. In addition, new techniques can be easily expanded to serve more functions, such as 3-D stereoscopic image capability.
2. Brief Description of the Literature
Broadband reflecting polarizers were introduced in application Ser. No. 08/550,022 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,789) entitled “Single Layer Reflective Super Broadband Circular Polarizer and Method of Fabrication Therefore” by Sadeg M. Faris and Le Li which was filed Oct. 30, 1995. Such broadband polarizers are made by producing a single layer having cholesteric liquid crystal order where the pitch of the liquid crystal order varies in a non linear fashion across the layer.
General references on polymer dispersed liquid crystals may be found in detail in “Polymer Dispersed Liquid crystal displays”, by J. W. Doane, a chapter in “Liquid Crystals”, Ed. B. Bahadur, World Scientific Publishing, Singapore, and “CLC/polymer dispersion for haze-free light shutters, by D. Yang et al. Appl. Phys. Lett. 60, 3102 (1992).
Since the early attempt of utilizing cholesteric film as optical filters and the effort on polymer encapsulated nematic liquid crystals for display, much attention has been focused on trying to bring polymeric liquid crystals and cholesteric liquid crystals together to make devices for light control application. (See, for example J. Adams, W. Hass, J. Dailey, Journal of Applied Physics, 1971, and J. L. Fergason, Society-for Information Display Digest, 1985.). The above identified US patents and other references are hereby incorporated by reference.
Related Cases
The following applications are related to the present invention: application Ser. No. 9/093,017 filed Jun. 5, 1998; application Ser. No. 09/093,006 filed Jun. 5, 1998; application Ser. No. 09/039,303 filed Mar. 14, 1998; application Ser. No. 09/039,297 filed Mar. 14, 1998; application Ser. No. 08/891,877 filed Jul. 9, 1997 entitled “Reflective Film Material Having Symmetrical Reflection Characteristics and Method and Apparatus for Making the Same”, by Le Li and Sadeg Faris application Ser. No. 08/739,467 filed Oct. 29, 1996 entitled “Circularly Polarizing Reflective Material Having Super Broad-Band Reflecting & Transmission Characteristics & Method of Fabricating & Using Same in Diverse applications” by Sadeg M. Faris, Le Li, and Yingqiu Jiang Jiang. Application Ser. No. 08/890,320 filed Jul. 9, 1997 entitled “Coloring Media Having Improved Brightness and Color Characteristics” by Sadeg M. Faris and Le Li application Ser. No. 08/805,603 entitled “Electro-optical glazing structures having total-reflection and transparent modes of operation for use in dynamical control of electromagnetic radiation” by Sadeg M. Faris and Le Li, filed Feb. 26, 1997, which is a continuation-in-part of: copending application Ser. No. 08/739,467 entitled “Super Broadband Reflective Circularly Polarizing Material And Method Of Fabricating And Using Same In Diverse applications”, by Sadeg M. Faris and Le Li filed Oct. 29, 1996, which is a is a Continuation-in-Part of copending application Ser. No. 08/550,022 (Now U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,789) entitled “Single Layer Reflective Super Broadband Circular Polarizer and Method of Fabrication Therefore” by Sadeg M. Faris and Le Li filed Oct. 30, 1995; copending application Ser. No. 08/787,282 entitled “Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Inks” by Sadeg M. Faris filed Jan. 24, 1997, which is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 08/265,949 filed Jun. 2, 1994, which is a Divisional of application Ser. No. 07/798,881 entitled “Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Inks” by Sadeg M. Faris filed Nov. 27, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,557; copending application Ser. No. 08/715,314 entitled “High-Brightness Color Liquid Crystal Display Panel Employing Systemic Light Recycling And Methods And Apparatus For Manufacturing The Same” by Sadeg Faris filed Sep. 16, 1996; copending application Ser. No. 08/743,293 entitled “Liquid Crystal Film Structures With Phase-Retardation Surface Regions Fonned Therein And Methods Of Fabricating The Same” by Sadeg Faris filed Nov. 4, 1996. Each of the above identified application s and patents are commonly assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.